There is no doubt that there was something nefarious going on when the Knicks plucked Jalen Brunson from the Mavericks back in 2022, on what was seen as a risky, four-year, $104 million contract. The Knicks had hired Brunson’s father, former NBA guard Rick Brunson, not long before signing Jalen Brunson. The elder Brunson, who played for Salem High in Massachusetts, also knew former Salem State star Tom Thibodeau well, from his youth and from playing for teams on which Thibodeau was an assistant coach, in New York and Houston. And Brunson’s agent had been Leon Rose, who had left the representation business to take over as Knicks president.
The Knicks were found guilty of tampering by the NBA in signing Brunson, having violated rules about when they were allowed to speak to him about a contract. That brought a minor penalty–the Knicks were docked a 2025 second-round pick.
Further questions about what might be going on between the Knicks and Brunson were raised when he chose to sign an extension in the summer of 2024, worth four years and $156 million. It was a good contract and the max the Knicks could give Brunson at the time–which is why it drew questions. Brunson could have gotten five years and $269 million if he had waited a year to sign.
Investigative journalist Pablo Torre took notice.
Pablo Torre Suggested a Knicks-Jalen Brunson Investigation
Yes, for quite some time now, it’s been believed that after Torre outed the thick financial relationship between Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers–a relationship that circumvented the salary cap and league rules–he would turn his attention to Jalen Brunson and the Knicks. This was not just rumor. It was something Torre himself had said.
In an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show” a year ago, Torre was asked about what might be next after Leonard.
“My tip line has never been more used by enemies of Jalen Brunson,” he told Patrick. “‘Look into that one!'”
Patrick asked him if there was anything there with Brunson. Torre said, “How he arrived on the Knicks, and I will have to defer to the reporting I will or will not do on this, certainly was interesting, right? OK, that’s a pretty good deal for the Knicks. has some–whatever.’ But I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”
When Patrick said it was a tease, Torre said, “It is a little bit of a tease.”
Pablo Torre: Not ‘Sitting on Some Investigation’ of Jalen Brunson
And that’s where things were left on the notion of an investigation into Brunson and the Knicks hitting the wires. Until now, at least. That’s because, in an interview with Variety Torre finally addressed whether he and his Pulitzer-winning team would be looking at the defending champs now.
From the Variety site: “’I’m getting stopped on the street regularly by people saying, ‘Leave Jalen Brunson alone,’’”’ Torre says. ‘“’It’s been a consistent theme as a New Yorker of people threatening me. Even Rick Brunson reached out to me being like, ‘What are you up to?!””
And the follow-up: “To answer Jalen’s dad’s question: No, he’s not ‘sitting on some investigation’ of the King of New York.”
Knicks Not Getting Clippers Treatment
Good to know. Yes, the Knicks were forced to cough up a second-round for tampering with Brunson, but there is apparently no evidence of Brunson or the Knicks engaging in any salary cap circumvention, either on his first contract or his second.
Considering the litany of crushing punishments that the Clippers were just hit with as a result of Torre’s report, which first was unveiled last year, that’s especially good news. The Clippers were fined a record $30 million, forced to give up five years of first-round draft picks, and saw the suspension of owner Steve Ballmer and team business president Gillian Zucker for one year, while GM Lawrence Frank is suspended for six months.
But that’s their problem. Not the Knicks’.
Knicks Get Good News as Pablo Torre Addresses Jalen Brunson ‘Investigation’